The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Flames burned fiercely, incinerating the majestic robes of the statues, leaving them bare and wreathed in his fury. A mere breath from his lungs swelled the flames to higher peaks, turning the hall into a burning passage that sought to consume Lelith. But within the inferno, a mark shone brighter, bearing the symbol of a crown. Oscar's flames, driven by rage, could not engulf her, a part of the crystal floor left alone and untouched by the searing fire. It was as if her cold indifference could not be penetrated even by the most violent rage he had ever felt in his life. Oscar gripped his shield, Demon raised his white sword, and Erden scraped his hoof and bucked his head low.

"Avila. Take care of Avril. Keep a distance and hold her close." Oscar spoke but didn't turn. A part of him felt a single moment of lapse could result in his demise, the eerie sense of dread spreading from Lelith's dead stare compounding the unease. One mistake, and he'd die. One moment of faltering, and he'd lose her. Avila's steps went quiet, certainly soaring far up in the air now with Avril on her back. He didn't need to look back to confirm it, for he would have done the same, and she cared just as much as him for Avril.

Lelith pounded the pommel of her scythe on the floor, cracking the smoldering tiles. A storm of sharp Ein burst out, cutting apart the flames into embers, swirling and centering on her. This immense amount of Ein forced Oscar and Serit to retreat for the moment before it contracted and concentrated on her. An armored vest manifested on her chest as several curved blades of scythes swished and clicked into place below in the form of a dress, oddly similar to a wedding dress with her lace sleeves exposed on the arms. Two wings protruded from her back, dozens of scythes forming the shapes and ending in razor-sharp feathers. They unfurled to the groaning of metal until they rang a sharp cry, the simple beat slicing the air and the ground.

"Oscar…this is…." Serit said solemnly, his usual cheekiness fading and darkening. It was understandable since her overwhelming Ein was beyond any Oscar had encountered, and he had faced many foes. A piercing bolt of radiant light, longer than a javelin, flashed and headed toward Lelith, who paid no attention to it and simply swiped a wing, the screeching cries of the scythes wailing in the hall. The bolt was reduced to mere shreds, and the rippling winds of her wing's movement slashed the statues, carving deep cuts into the stone.

Oscar struck fast, charging ahead with his shield in front. As the sturdiest one, he had to clear the opening like a battering ram in a siege. His Prinstyct predicted a motion, but her speed surpassed his reaction. Suddenly, she swung her scythe and pierced past his scarlet-platinum aegis that overlapped his shield, the combination of his flame barrier and platinum wall. It passed through like a knife cutting in soft butter and screeched as it spewed sparks against his shield. His Shattering Wave exploded out, but her wing retracted and cut apart its devastating shockwaves. Blades extended from her feet and clamped her to the floor, resisting the momentum of his charge.

He reached out with his right, a scarlet-platinum dragon's maw emerging and roaring as it bit on her body. It chewed and ground with its teeth that dripped lava but failed to pierce her armor, her arms still free and capable of moving. She seemed undisturbed and watched Erden enlarge his wings and force hers back. Erden groaned in pain as the sharp scythes cracked the ends of his antler wings, but he forced them back and entangled them. Thin needles poured down, intent on skewering Oscar and Erden. Spiked chains rattled on their links, and threads spun and zipped, rushing to bind them.

A barrage of thin arrows matched the needles. Avila lacked the sharpness to beat them in a direct fight, but her precision and marksmanship were unparalleled, aiming for the sides of the thin needles, not missing a single one, and deflecting them off their course. Demon treaded on a trail of blue flames and severed the chains and threads before they could imprison Oscar. Staring deeply at Lelith's eyes, Oscar attempted his Gorgon Eyes to halt her in place. The link formed between their pupils, and, to his shock, instantly shattered, the rebound burning his eyes as blood streaked down his cheeks.

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Demon clenched his sword and swung, aiming for her neck. Undisturbed, Lelith raised her arm and blocked the sword with her bare skin. The cries of metals clashing rang sharply. Oscar widened his eyes, stunned at the sight of the blue flames, the sharp primordial flames, failing. They could only leave scrapes on her skin. Serit soared from the front while her arms and wings were distracted. He stabbed his sword, darkness poisoning the tip, and aimed well, right for her heart. For the first time, her flat lips opened wide. It was an unnatural look on her indifferent eyes, as if she were inhuman, not of this world. The winds formed great gales that poured into her mouth, and she let out a wail. The effects tremored and pinched all of his nerves, and Oscar relaxed slightly, a mistake that freed her scythe. She swung once, a full moon slash across.

With the Ripple Shroud, Oscar buffered the blow and managed to escape. Light expanded and filled Lelith's half of the hall, showering her in dense radiance that swept down and exploded in a blinding flash. Avila's timing was impeccable, stopping Lelith from counterattacking during this period. Demon and Erden recovered their footing in the air, and Serit tumbled and rolled over to Oscar's side. As the smoke cleared, Lelith waltzed out, her strides calm and collected, not a single wound nor blemish on her.

The entire exchange happened in a single second. Oscar felt a dreadful hopelessness rising and diminishing the anger that fueled him. In a single second, they had coordinated and attacked with their respective strengths. Yet, Lelith was more than a match for their collective efforts and suffered no harm. Beside him, Serit writhed on the ground, clutching his head. His short sword clattered to the floor. The power of her Meld was taking hold, the horrifying power that drew out the fear and traumas of her enemies with a single cut from her scythe.

'No…I saw it. Her scythe didn't reach him.' Oscar was certain he had only seen the tip of her wing slice Serit's shoulder, noted by the bloody gash on his brother-in-law. 'Wait, does that mean any of them are it?' He realized the true extent of her terrifying power. Not only her scythe, but he guessed the blades of her wings and the blades of her skirt contained the same power. Her speed was beyond his capabilities to react. Luckily, he had two others connected to him to cover the blind spots. Her raw strength, while lesser than his, still exceeded even some Reis users. Now, he had to contend with the possibility that the slightest scratch from any of her blades would render him useless.

Demon acted on Oscar's thoughts and poured the calming elixir, forcing it down Serit's wails of sorrow and grief. Serit regained color in his pupils and spluttered down bits of the elixir, rising to his feet. His brother-in-law said, pale-faced and gasping, "Sorry. I need more training." He glared at Lelith. "But I'm sure I touched her chest with my blade. At the very least, a part of it should have been corroded. Sorry, my Meld has no use in this fight."

"It's alright. There's not much any of us can do here…." Oscar watched Lelith stretch her back, clearly not taking the battle seriously. That was her only weakness in this fight, but even her casual swings deterred them. He peeked at Serit and sighed. His brother-in-law's Meld only activated once he killed a person, taking in pieces of memories and knowledge, which was why he had risen to prominence as an intelligence officer. "Don't think too hard. Your Integration can work, but we must time it well."

"That's asking me to die. Damn." Serit gave a faint smile and raised his short sword.

Lelith exhaled, her wings lowering. "That's it? How boring. My predecessor slaughtered your family, killed them before your eyes, and let you live. But the fear in you is so…boring. Just like the rest." Her scythe rose and pointed at Oscar, humming an eerie ring that grated on the ears as if poking inside with needles. "Now you. Last we met, I could not see your fears, and you remained calm, a rarity. However, now I feel I can draw it out. You're different from before."

'Should we switch?' Demon suggested. He had been the one who met her before and withstood her Meld effects.

'No. I will do it.' Oscar rejected it.

She tapped her chin in pondering. "But I wonder what fear, what wondrous emotions you are hiding inside. Heir of Issac, a perfect Reis user, and the tragic hero of a war. What is in you? I want to see and feel."

'Damn, now I realize why she's so odd.' Ignyres rumbled. 'She isn't a natural birth of Talos. An abomination.'

'What is she?' Oscar asked.

Ignyres clicked his nonexistent tongue, 'No wonder that bastard, Metures, considered her as a candidate for his grand, mysterious plan. Somehow, she contains his essence, a part of his very being. What madness. What depravity. To contort a shard of Metures into…her.'

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